Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-02-10
A SINGING GHOST.
story Of a Strange Pr"Pie Who Live 10 the
Mountains OF West Virginia.


part Of Kanawa county, writes a
Charleston, w. Va, correspondent OF
the Cincinnati Enquirer. Strange peo-
pie, many of whom are nomadic in
habit, strange customs and strange
habitations may be found for the look
ing. Here the ''sing-diggers," or cave
dwellers. thrive in yili luxuriance; here
tho brotherhood OF Prayer" and Church
of God sects, whose curious rites OF
humility and penance recall the history
of druidical worship. On the southern
slope of the mountain about five miles
beyond .'the settlement"-as these
primitive-mannered people still call the
villages-Edom Smith, Free Will Bap-
tIst, pitched his tent ten years ago. His
claims or preferment were speedily re-
cognized and a following obtained.
The more misty his eloquence the greater
honors were heaped upon him. A rude
hut was his dwelling-place, in n dense
wood, never touched by sunshine, and
hard by little stream, spring fed, and
q twinkling waterfall. Here the owls
hooted grewsomely in the nighttime.
Deacon Smith was pale, cadaverous,
and solemn. His wife was of the gypsy
type-dark, of stormy mien, alert and
active. That she ruled the deacon with
no gentle. rod no one mad reason to
doubt. She held herself aloof from "his
people," though taking part in the Sat
urday night services. He never preach
ed save at night, and then only in the
light of the moon. For this he gave
reasons founded on bible teaching and
satisfactory to the flock.
The dark woman was held in venera-
ton by the ''sing-diggers, for she sang
as none other could, and gave them
healing potions and charms against the
power Of the evil one. Once it is said
that when Edom Smith spoke of death
and the grave in his discourse she
shrieked aloud and rebuked her hus-
band with angry words. 1t was known
that her terror of death amounted to
madness, and she had extorted an oath
from him never to consign her body to
the ground, but to inclose it in an oaken
box, to be deposited on specified stump
near the house. For want of sunlight
she fell i'll of rheumatism in one autumn,
and died when the leaves were coming
out again in the tangle of vines on the
tent. Edom Smith remembered his
vow, and respected it, Within sight of
the bride path that led to the highway
few miles beyond, on the stump that
Olga had selected, the rude oak box
containing her body was placed. The
people besought him to bury the re-
mains, but he said he burst not break
his word. for she had promised to haunt
him for this, and always kept her word.
Then they made a new path to the river
that they might avoid the awful specta-
Gle of that discolored box, where the
figure in white came every twilight and
wandered to the waterfall. This weird
vision was common sight, it was said,
and they persistently prayed the deacon
to put the coffin under ground, where
the dead belong. Ettish screams were
heard in the midnight hour. it was told
and wild songs, such as Olga used tC
sing as she sat by the cabin door.
All knew that strong, strangely swee
voice, and shuddered when they heard
its echoes among the trees. But no on,
complained to the authorities of the
horror, and the box remained through
that summer and one winter undisturb
ed. 1t finally disappeared, no one knew
why, and were afraid to ask concerning
it. But the mystery was explained whel
he brought bride to the hut. She hat
steadily refused to share his lot until tn
former wife was put away.
But the songs went on as of old. ant
the awful cries in the cleaning, till the
called it the haunted glen, through
which belated travellers hurried to tn
nearest habitation. 1t was found tha
Edom Smith had carried the box to
cavern, almost at the mountain top, ol
the other side. How he succeeded il
reaching the place without assistanc
was more than anyone could under
stand, but no one questioned about tn
awful matter. There, on ledge o
rock IN the cave may yet be seen tn
oaken box, over which the MOSES grow
and the ancient ferns, and where tn
dolesome night-hawks scream a mourn
full threnody. The rattlesnakes his
about the place, and fantastic vim
drapes the mouth of the tomb with seal
let blossoms. The tale is told tina
Deacon Smith had never peace in tn
hut with his new wife, for tho ghostl
songs of the restless Olga, and that hi
bible had bloody tinger-marks through
out. So they left the place one night
going no one knew whittier, leavin
everything as though they would return
but they never did, none hearing fror
them or the cause of their hegira. Pc
haps they were murdered, say the ''son
people" Who can tell? But the furn
ture disappeared from the hut month
later, and then fire destroyed th
house-by what means no man coul
say. They still say the songs may y
be heard in the twilight and the awfl
shrieks in the midnight hour. And the
will tell this tale to succeeding gener;
) tions, and warn them of the haunte
cave near the mountain-top and tt
ghost of the lonely glen.